The Difference Between Kenpo & Escrima Explained (with Jeff Speakman)

[@amaashelton]

I remember when the movie came out my instructor was so excited about the stick scenes. He had a background in kajukenbo so he taught “escrima” . Years later i trained in Balintawak escrima and it’s so different.

[@lajuanjohnsonbtc9634]

Balintawak is an awesome style & Gm Bobby is amazing

[@Al-Ex-North-Star]

Was it because Balintawak is for closed spaces and a really close distance between fighters?

[@tharillest]

Great expose Sensei Dan! Also Shihan/Tai Sensei Speakman is a true martial arts legend in his own right. The Perfect Weapon was one of my inspirations for me to learn my cultural martial art of Arnis and to incorporate it into my foundational basis of my martial arts development and journey. THW is an underrated turn of the century "Karate Flick" and doesn't receive enough recognition that it deserves. I have studied with Kajukenbo and various Kenpo masters but there was never an American Kenpo school in San Diego, but nonetheless Master/Shihan Speakman and TPW film absolutely was my first introduction to stick fighting back when I first began my martial arts adventure 32 years ago! It's funny how I was in awe of not only the empty hands effectiveness of Kenpo but this being my first visual of the use of sticks even prior to me even finding about Arnis/Kali/Eskrima. And, til this day, I have even incorporated some of Master Speakman's techniques from the movie &/or slightly adapted them into my Arnis repertoire! American Kenpo Stick Fighting and American Kenpo & 5.0 is an American Gem and an homage to the great American spirt and the western martial arts influence in the world. Sensei Dan, again great stuff! Love it! Keep the good stuff coming! Cheers!

[@allones3078]

I am a kali guy and have wondered about this

[@PhinTheShoto]

Same

[@Sithikus]

If you practice FMA.. you know far more about the usage of a stick then kempo will ever know

[@allones3078]

@@Sithikus Most likely true. but that does not mean i can not learn something from kempo's stick style and their approach to stick and blade fighting.This is why i also spar and cross train with both HEMA And kendo guys.

[@SuenosDeLaNoche]

I believe the only useful knowledge is that which will be effective. If it'll work, practice it. Otherwise note that fact and move on to useful moves.

[@allones3078]

​@@SuenosDeLaNoche Okay... true and a very kali approach but..? 1.why does kempo use kali sticks? 2. why do they use them in a very different methodology. 3. how did kali stick become part of kempo?

[@Scorch1028]

Sensei Dan, I am so glad that you addressed this question about Kenpo sticks, that I have been asking Kenpo practitioners for years. Master Joe Rebelo and Master Jeff Speakman have given a very clear, comprehensive answer to the Kenpo sticks question. 😀

[@richardcranston5160]

I’ve been training FMA and JKD for 23 years. My best friend is a kenpo guy. I honestly prefer studying and FMA system as a complete. Whether Kali or eskrima or whatever is called. In my profession learning weapons first is a benefit. I implement both, weapons and empty hand; as a requirement. As well as grappling. FMA has grappling but I push learning grappling a deeper level as well as FMA. I say learn FMA completely and the attributes you seek will come out

[@SovietWarMusic]

This is why I'm training Kenpo and trying to train FMA when I can, since both systems work together but are still different enough that both are worth training

[@Sithikus]

As a 30-year practitioner of FMA (Filipino martial arts) , as most martial practitioners who've ever studied or have familiarity with this style understand that the first thing that we teach is the stick (baston) applications and angles of attack/defense. After sufficient proficiency has been attained with the baston, other applications with other handheld tools and empty hand applications are introduced. All this being said there are fundamental differences between kempo use of the stick and FMA use of the stick.

[@1888swordsman]

Another informative interview, well done. I deeply respect Master Speakman for his open mindedness. It was his journey to explore ground fighting that inspired me to learn Judo to expand my limited ground and grappling knowledge. Respect

[@jcrowellz2000]

What a movie! Such a hidden gem. I guess it didn't do as well as it should have in the theater. Hollywood should have had another big action movie Speakman to star in after this.

[@fletchkeilman2205]

One more thing....Mr. Speakman. If you are able to read these comments...I wish you nothing but good health and good living for you and yours. Cheers, Sensei!!

[@bryce4228]

Great interview. I'm definitely an outsider, as I don't practice kenpo, but it's always good to hear from people so knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

[@paulliddement]

The perfect weapon was a great movie. Jeff had the look, the attitude and the skills. To this day if I think about martial arts this film pops in my mind. The combos in the gym and the spinning back fists were a step beyond what was being done at the time.

[@vedder10]

I love these interviews. Such great questions being asked that you can tell sensei Speakman respects your interview skills and line of questioning immensely.

[@charlesratcliff2016]

Thank you for answering my question I asked in your previous video on the Kempo sticks. It seems the techniques are different from traditional Kali.

[@ziggydog5091]

Chinese Kempo for forty years, FMA for twenty-five tears, they go together like birds of a feather! 😊

[@olieantonetti7393]

Been doing EPKK, Wing Chun, Modern Arnis, Balintawak and a little BJJ for 10 years, like you said, they go together like puzzle pieces. So much fun!

[@ziggydog5091]

@@olieantonetti7393 👍😊

[@anime-nut2626]

I practice Okinawan Kempo and Escrima. They really compliment each other and I am amazed how many techniques are the same.

[@ziggydog5091]

@@anime-nut2626 😊👍

[@ruiseartalcorn]

A great interview with an amazing master! Many thanks :)

[@fletchkeilman2205]

Even if I don't agree with Mr. Speakman in regards to the use and practicality of the sticks, I'm still taking in every word, hahahaha! He is a great human being and a great ambassador for martial arts. What I wouldn't give to train with him one day. As always...great interview!! post script....I do, in fact, agree with the use of the stick. Just certain approaches and attacks/disarms i tend to question. Now, HE could probably pull them off. Also, in studying FMA, there are SO MANY damn schools of thought on training with sticks/knives, so I believe it comes down to the approach. Me...well...i tend to just adopt an approach akin to fencing when training/using my sticks. But that is just me. I guess i was trying to convey that even if i don't agree with everything Mr. Speakman is talking about the sticks and how it is used in his system, I definitely know the man has trained enough to finds a way that works for him, and possibly for others. He definitely has put to work in. I just didnt want to leave it as like "OH well what he does is completely impractical, but he was in an action film i liked as a kid, so i guess i respect him." FAR from that notion. Speakman is a pioneer and a great human being. Even though I don't train in the same style as he does, he gets massive respect for me for so many reasons. I hope this edit clears that up, if there even was anyone second guessing as to what i was saying. Sorry hahahaha. It just was in the back of my head for a day and I had to type this in order to feel like I properly got my point across. Jesus...I need to shut up

[@bAbYkEkONA]

What you may not know is: William Kwai sun Chow aka Professor Chow or Thunderbolt Chow had extensive Escrima & Hung Gar Kung fu training from his father before training under James Mitose Therefore anyone who trained under chow such as Ed Parker had exposure to Escrima. It’s not Kenpo, rather has always been a part of Kenpo that stems from Hawai’i. In Hawaii we also use what we call a pocket stick, and we do our forms with the pocket stick in our hands.

[@christophercrawford-qv4up]

Thank you for having Grandmaster Speakman on. I have my green belt in Kenpo and want to go back and get my brown and black.

[@cpiper6338]

Thanks for a very informative interview. Having trained a bit in Modern Arnis, I loved the stick fighting scenes in The Perfect Weapon but didn't know there was a difference between what I learned and Kenpo sticks. I understand the idea of shortening the sticks to "fit" your body but I think I prefer the longer reach. I had the opportunity to meet Jeff Speakman when he came to our (at the time) Vinings location of Joe Corley Karate while touring in promotion of the movie. I believe Jay T. Will (RIP), who was another of Ed Parker's advanced Black Belts, arranged the visit and a short seminar there. Truly memorable.

[@francoismorin8721]

Good interview to discover the specifics of American Kenpo mentality regarding weapons.

[@daneck100]

First, I got the Kenpo tee shirt! Love it, thanks! I have often practiced Kenpo techniques with an Arnis and Kali stick .

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Nice! That was fast! Thank you for the order and I hope you enjoy the shirt :)

[@complexblackness]

Why wait years to learn sticks, when you can do it right away in FMA? Just learn FMA. If interested in Kenpo, learn it separately.

[@_Pauper_]

✊that’s what I’m sayin’! Also a proper FMA school shows the crossover of stick and empty hand.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

We DO learn it seperately. Kenpo is an empty handed system like Mr. Speakman said. But we have considerations when a weapon is put in our hands and those techniques and forms are more advanced exploration. There are defense against stick attack techniques early on in the system, but the Form 7 he's talking about is a much later form. Most Kenpo guys just learn sticks on their own and then mesh. That was the reason I asked him the question, Kenpo guys seem drawn to Kali sticks and wanted his take on it.

[@_Pauper_]

@@ArtofOneDojo maybe my FMA training is a-typical.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

@@_Pauper_ From what I understand FMA typically teaches weapons in hand first and then show how empty hand works after that. The reverse of what Mr. Speakman said. I have not personally trained in FMA myself so I can't give a first-hand account.

[@TheSubwaysurfer]

Totally agree I don’t agree with anything that he says all this nonsense about learning the sticks after achieving black belt blah blah blah you’re going to have to train your reflexes all over again using that method. In the Filipino martial arts total beginners are doing the same thing ADVANCE students are only with less efficiency power and timing but because you are forced to work with people above your skill levelThat’s how you grow that’s why you sharpen that’s how you adaptive techniques to your particular body. It’s a much more practical way of learning. I’m with those who say just learn Filipino martial arts you’ll get sticks and knives in your hands Waye before training “Black belt”

[@mogatdula]

ive been doing FMA all my life, and i love what Kenpo has done with the knife and the stick. this was very interesting!

[@miah1571]

My escrima sticks have literally saved my life in the streets back in the day

[@cmsacademy1673]

Wow I just realised the interview is the actual actor of the film. On one side I feel happy to see time ravages us all the same 😢😅 but what a legend of a man and to have such film to record his skill level at his peak for posterity

[@kiaikarate5387]

AWESOME as always AMIGO!!!

[@monikasturm2575]

Not sure how this came across on my feed but I'm always looking for ways to provide my tiny youngest daughter with ways to defend herself while she goes about her daily life. I was trained in Krav Maga and while I look like a chibi I'm pretty deadly especially with a knife they never will see coming. I've built her a few very inconspicuous self defense weapons and taught her some techniques, but in this day and age I feel they more the merrier. I saw this video and started wondering if i could incorporate these into a backpack or purse so thanks for the information.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Does it rain a lot where you live? A detachable umbrella handle might be an option. Or detachable handles on a rolling luggage/school bag case. Or a collapsible baton that can fight in a bag or purse. Just be sure to know the rules about concealed weapons where you live and what/what does not qualify.

[@SuenosDeLaNoche]

Fascinating video Sensei Dan! My Black Belt Thesis incorporated Kenpo self-defense techniques (20) to form a kata (Calm Within the Storm). Continuing education in Kenpo is exercising the mind while training the body. Be well 🙏✌🏻

[@SuenosDeLaNoche]

I neglected to mention the thesis kata incorporated two clubs. Modifying techniques taught without clubs was the brain exercise. Practice and application was analyzed for the thesis. It was a useful bit of continuing education and teaching. Be well Sensei Dan.

[@TomMack6466]

I'm a JKD/Kali guy with some exposure to kenpo and I can appreciate the differences between the arts. I can only comment on my experiences FMA tends to go from weapons to empty hand and kenpo empty hand to weapons. In my experience FMA drills more often are partner drills and less structured in comparison to kenpo. There are parallels since both arts teach movement and apply movement and mechanics to various tools or techniques. I suspect that FMA may have indirectly influenced kenpo since FMA was in Hawaii, not in techniques but a style of movement. I also think that kenpo had an influence on JKD/Kali since many of the first- and second-generation instructors had a Kenpo background. I've wondered at times what parts of Guro Inosanto's teaching style comes from Sijo Bruce Lee and what comes from Grandmaster Parker. BTW I've heard that Bruce Lee's first exposure to Savate was from an 8mm film of a match that was given to him by Ed Parker Nothing happens in a vacuum but that's the beauty in this life we become the sum total of our experiences and environment. The arts we study do as well.

[@TomMack6466]

BTW I know some Modern Arnis instructors who regularly cross train with Kenpo people (I believe Tracy system)

[@robertnguyen9493]

If they were to redo The Perfect Weapon, I would like to see Mr. Speakman square up with a grappler, so that he could demonstrate Kenpo 5.0 as it pertains to ground fighting. Add in a weapon and that’s an exciting fight scene

[@fletchkeilman2205]

hell yeah!! was thinking the same thing. what we need now is a way...or someone who can pull this off aesthetically...to film a proper fight scene using grappling. it is very hard to do in regars to making it exciting.

[@robertnguyen9493]

@@fletchkeilman2205 I believe that it can be done, and the closest we’ve seen is the John Wick series, because Chad Stahelski is a lifelong martial artist himself. The trick is, I think, is to use long takes to keep the action going. Utilizing the most unique techniques and exciting aspects of grappling, while filming at a wide angle so the audience can see what’s happening, with a few close ups to help establish the drama and tension of the fight, and that’s when the director could edit out external sound and insert a heartbeat, cause when the action slows the tension has to remain to keep the audience engaged. And most importantly, absolutely NO SHAKY CAM AND OVER EDITING.

[@MarshOakDojoTimPruitt]

thanks

[@potandpoliticswithmr.broph1420]

That was such a fun movie, and the main character getting played in a gang war was a great spin on the usual hum drum vengeance formula.

[@errolthomas9426]

Jeet Kune Do/Ed Parker American Kenpo student Daniel Inosanto used Escrima Sticks originally in The Game of Death prior to Bruce Lee using them in Enter The Dragon

[@AntonioCabaltera-i3h]

Nice movie of perfect weapon. Master speakman is a good martial artist. His techniques are very amazing. .

[@mizukarate]

Good stuff

[@pausetapest.v8302]

Kenpo 5.0 Juat one question how do you have for reality fighting be we in my hood don't go to ground because You will get jumped?

[@geoffrobinson7104]

Basic Kenpo stick methodology is based on flow of motion and reversing motion with timing for effectiveness. The basic stick pattern you learn is a bit different than Kali and Indonesian arts. The extra rebound and impact is different timing and gives one options. That is why you can adapt stick motion into Kenpo technique motion easily. We adapt all motion to fit the environment and weapons available. A big subject to address in 15 minutes.

[@canadafree2087]

1. There are also short sticks in Escrima (24" or so), avg police solid baton 26", avg Escrima stick 28". PR-24 is for Americans, several Tonfa on the market today are two short for Americans. I think it is a failing to hold weapon skills to the much higher belts. Escrima teaches weapons from day one. The problem with holding weapon training from your studets early on, is that they don't have skilled attackers. I've seen too many knife attacks that would never be done in a fight, a long single thrust for example.

[@Roaddog77]

I've been a kenpo student since 1967. Jeff speakmen tell it like it is..my personal preference for the martialist defense is kenpo because it relys on close quarter hand to hand with a wit of knowing distance for your own personal maximum abilities of power at the end of the strike and kick. Kenpo is very brutal street fighting style that has always fit my personal abilities..RIP. uncle Lee Gonzalez sensai ,master.!

[@josephshaff5194]

Awwww! Malfunction no . . . . glad he's ok. OMG. Great interview !

[@revelation5577]

Man Kenpo is such a BRUTAL Martial Art...In my opinion the most deadly. I wish Jeff was in UFC 1 with what he knows now. We would have seen A TIGER 🐯

[@MississippiBeaverCompany]

Remember Keith Hackney? He did well, he just didn’t have an answer to the ground game, but nobody really did back then.

[@shooter86-uw8ce]

Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock and Gerard Gordeau would've eaten him alive With ease

[@charleshill1906]

I remember asking my instructor, Jerry Erickson, when I was a kid, about this and he explained it simply...whatever you can do with your bare hands, you can do with a stick in each hand because they are fundamental extensions of your fists.

[@lajuanjohnsonbtc9634]

Are the stick & knife forms in Kenpo empty hand forms like they are in Kali? My guru shows us the slight variations in empty hand useage but the general movements transfer directly to our stick & knife forms

[@ArtofOneDojo]

No, the stick and knife forms are actually collections of what are normally empty handed self defense techniques but then applied with a weapon in hand.

[@JustSomeGuy69420]

I'm pretty open to pretty much any martial art. Even commonly critiqued ones like Aikido and Tai Chi. I've had yet to see a demonstration of Kenpo that really struck me as well done. Like what's the deal with the training partners always being stuck in freeze frame position while you blast them with half a dozen strikes? It seems to be a common thing with Kenpo. Real fights are very dynamic. I'm sure I'm just misunderstanding something. Anyone wanna enlighten me?

[@chris9511]

I learn this under Professor John Conway Sr, he called them wind sticks.

[@Bladestar7]

Part of the reason I got interested in Kali/Eskrima was because of the Perfect Weapon movie. And yet there are some differences in how they are used in kenpo and FMA.

[@ejdet.feeney9020]

I would add also not just stick fighting but also I would add filipino stick fighting

[@HENZI-cv7re]

Master Jeff Speakman really should make more films.

[@shooter86-uw8ce]

It's not up to him It's up to a film production company to cast him in a film they want to invest capital in And going on 66 years old in 2024 no one is going to do that

[@HENZI-cv7re]

@@shooter86-uw8ce I meant back then in the nineties, he should have just produced films himself. Even now, he could still do Liam Neeson type of roles, such as in Taken. Liam and Denzel aren't young, Master Speakman still moves better than them in real life for sure now. He is a proper martial artist.

[@shooter86-uw8ce]

@HENZI-cv7re do you understand how expensive producing even an indie film is? Especially back then? No way he could have footed the bill to produce his own movie back then It's not like today with digital cameras (getting rid of lab processing of film which was very expensive), crowd funding, mass access to the internet for marketing and actual viewing of your film His only real possibility would've been to get an indie film mogul like Roger Corman behind him But Corman was already using Don Wilson as his main martial arts movie actor

[@HENZI-cv7re]

@@shooter86-uw8ce I actually do understand, I am in the filmaking business in my country. Producing doesn't mean you use your own money, you get funders. An indie flick Master Speakman could have gotten funders for sure at his peak, just after Perfect Weapon. But alas, it is all water under the bridge now, so it's a moot point anyway. What could have been...

[@CJCon885]

Best defense against a knife is to just NOT be there. Knives are completely unpredictable and can cut with every block and counter. Not to mention that even with a firearm you need to understand the 21 foot rule with firearm and knife.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Absolutely, which is why the weapons in Kenpo are more of an add-on rather than a focus. It's an empty-handed system, and the weapons are implemented to help students learn how to adjust and gauge changes when holding objects. Form 8 especially, considering it's a knife form and a lot of the movements built within it are dangerous to the practitioner (it's debated if Ed Parker even created Form 8, it breaks rules and goes against common knife safety). It's also meant to be performed with smaller knives, so people using large blades are already starting off on the wrong foot. Real knife defense is UGLY. In a knife fight, the loser dies in the street and the winner dies in the ambulance.

[@TheFaithfulFist]

Jun Bao Gung Fu has American Kenpo in its blend of martial arts, so Im studying videos of Kenpo to see how things differ. My knowledge of weapons in Jun Bao is very limited, in my school I see the advanced class always walking in with the Bo (staff) and footage exists of the founder of the art teaching a student Chinese swordsmanship. I would say our school is mainly focussed on forms, application, combatives, and competition. So weapons have their place somewhere but aren't our first priority from the beginner's look of things so far

[@chadthomas09]

I remembert oward the end of the movie he has his escrima strapped to his back with some kind of webbing system always wondered if that was a Hollywood thing or if something like that actually exists I would love to have that

[@awickedtribe]

One philosophy, which I learned talking with Sifu Saul Tallbear, is that you should train with 'practical' weapkns... You aren't likely to be carrying b around na change or butterfly knives, but you might find a stick lying around you can utilize as a weapon if needed

[@awickedtribe]

Kenpo sticks also tend to be thicker, BTW

[@ArtofOneDojo]

They can be and often are, but you'll find plenty of Kenpoists using standard Escrima sticks.

[@Xiy114]

How do you fight multiple attackers?

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Check out the episode that we released right before the sticks...we walk about addressing multiple attackers :)

[@EqualizerCombatives]

Think Kenpo sticks looks so bloody cool!

[@tonmikecarn]

Grandmaster Parker Lerned basic knife and stick of the Philippines.He later changed some for his art. Hulk Planis would have been a great. 1 to confirm that.I do not know if Chuck Sullivan would confirm it .I never asked him. You.wish to seek his knowledge.

[@_Pauper_]

Eskrima sticks come in different lengths. Takes 3seconds of looking at an FMA supply store (or Etsy😏) to realize that.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

He's talking about finding the right length. There are some guys I've know who just like to cut and make their own sticks.

[@bw5020]

The way Kempo tends to translate? Sticks or knives make sense.

[@TheSubwaysurfer]

He’s on argument breaks down I feel because he talks about if you are confronted with stick knife gun if you’re not teaching defensive an office of techniques with those weapons from the beginning how in the world are you going to be prepared if you encounter them before you get up to that covered in black belt. Again it’s asinine to teach any other way both of the hands and webinars should be taught side by side so that your brain can learn it all

[@oldtiger8181]

Kenpo is from Okinawan (way before anyone in the U.S.A. including Hawaii practiced it or knew about it) The only stick was single and double Tanbo. Tanbo are from the hand to elbow about 1 1/2 in diameter. Very schools practice authentic Kenpo tanbo techniques.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Kenpo is actually from China that then filtered through either Japan or Okinawan and then through Hawaii. Kenpo didn't originate in Okinawa. Karate did though.

[@shooter86-uw8ce]

"The only stick was a single and double tanbo" "Kenpo is from Okinawa" You literally have no idea what the hell you are talking about Chuan Fa, translated as Kenpo in nihongo, originated in China not the Ryukyu Kingdom And there are more stick based weapons in okinawa then just a tanbo Your knowledge of martial arts is very shallow

[@jorgefernandez5119]

Es una lástima que no se lo potenció como el nuevo Van Damme o Seagal

[@TheSubwaysurfer]

I think it’s a waste personally to have to wait to you get an advanced degree before you can ever pick up a stick or a knife. The guy in the street doesn’t have an advanced degree and he’s going to clean your clock. I like the Filipino arts a lot better because from day one they get you a custom to carrying a weapon swinging it defending against it and hitting things so that your body develops overtime. Everything I learned the Filipino martial arts from day one I was able to useImmediately and that makes more sense than this carrot on a stick method of teaching that other systems seem to have it having you wait around until you’re a black belt to be even beginning to teach you

[@ArtofOneDojo]

As he said, Kenpo is an empty handed system. The weapons are a side note and come later. There are weapon defense techniques early, but Kenpo is not a system that focuses on USING weapons so that's why a lot of Kenpo guys choose to train Escrima alongside it. It's not a waste, it's all about the focus. BJJ doesn't address weapons in any fashion at all, is that still a waste of training?

[@mogatdula]

the side note about the gag knife malfunctioning was funny/not funny. but brutal! I'm glad he was alright!

[@CraigSmith-dw3gi]

What the difference between kungfu and kenpo

[@shooter86-uw8ce]

The kenpo they're talking about in this clip comes from San Soo Kung Fu by way of James Wing Woo who taught it to Parker and created the forms for him And Parker took all the credit and pretended like he formulated it all himself

[@ghostwalkerairsofttech1947]

Kali sticks are shorter and thus more for up close and personal, just like the knife in kempo. I started training sticks early in my kempo career.

[@advancingsecurity]

Just helping with the algorithm 😊

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Much appreciated! :)

[@hamadalrowaie6882]

Why starting to learn that after 20 years !! What is the use of that why not feom day one ? Just like the other stick and knife styles !!?

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Because it's an empty handed system. Many people chose to learn it earlier, but it isn't part of the main curriculum. There are defense drills that are learned way earlier though.

[@hamadalrowaie6882]

@@ArtofOneDojo that is what will make people learn something else besides it 😄

[@ArtofOneDojo]

@@hamadalrowaie6882 Then let them learn something else. Different arts for different purposes. Kenpo is not a weapons based art, so if someone wants to train weapons then they should look for an art that focuses on it. Kenpo is an empty hand art, and works very well for that. What I find interesting is when arts crossover into each other and then it can be a cool exploration of how to blend ideas. That's really what we're talking about in his video.

[@hamadalrowaie6882]

@@ArtofOneDojo it is a cool video 🥰 i'm a big fan of this guy !! I was just wondering why 😊 i wish that he could include those training and practices earlier 😊 keep up the good work .

[@ArtofOneDojo]

@@hamadalrowaie6882I agree with you, which is why I asked him. A lot of Kenpo guys go right to the sticks as a separate training method and I find that very curious. It's all good stuff :)

[@MrEdium]

I'm sorry but I not sure but they were calling The Kenpo "Club Set" as in the heavier Police Clubs Not The "Stick Set" as in the light"Escrima Sticks".

[@ArtofOneDojo]

I'm not sure exactly what you're saying, but in the curriculum "club" and "stick" are often interechanged. They both refer to the Kali type stick. None of our sets, forms, or techniques use or involve Police clubs.

[@MrEdium]

@@ArtofOneDojo Originally they were Police Clubs because in those days Escrima Sticks were not easily found & the added weight of the clubs gave you better strength & the power is tremendously different. A little history. Talk to the old trimmers.

[@rdonovan1]

I'd like to know where Jeff Speakman got that stick holster from. I can't find it anywhere either online or offline. I like that stick holster and think it's pretty cool, but I can't find it anywhere at all.

[@Tucsonakka]

Learn the hand, learn the rod, learn the steel. ;)

[@jeremyjasonpage5863]

FMA?😮

[@bethelacademyofmartialarts3966]

Filipino Martial Arts

[@RacerX1971]

It seems like Escrima is flows more and kenpo looks rigid

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Good Kenpo can be extremely fluid in movement. A lot of what is show is slowed down demo clips. Kenpo can be a very smooth flowing art of motion.

[@rudytay8852]

More impressive is kali philipines style than kali kenpo style.

[@QuentinDunmore]

Not buying it. These techniques have been added to get money by creating a form and to distance from FMA.

[@_Pauper_]

Like adding BJJ

[@rhob2422]

When do you think it was added? It's been an intrinsic part of Kenpo for decades, I learned it over 20 years ago before the all this MMA stuff. Completely different than adding BJJ stuff.

[@bw5020]

Ok?

[@ArtofOneDojo]

That is not correct at all. Those "techniques" are techniques that we already learn in the system, many of them at early levels. There are also defense against stick techniques taught early one. What he's talking about is more advanced training on taking the empty handed system and the adjustments and considerations made when a weapon is placed in them. It has nothing to do with distancing from FMA or just to get more money. By the time they learn Form 7 they will have been with the system at least 15 years, and a new form isn't going to convince them to stay one more year just for the money.

[@nastygopher6776]

Ummmm I’m not too sure weapons are all that uncommon these days.

[@roninrusso872]

Well, I got about through a quarter of this video and to me. It sounds like you're afraid to teach somebody before they get that black belt. How to use a knife or how to use? Sticks But you will teach them how to roll around the ground with each other. In the street situation, the last place you wanna be is the ground number one. It's very nice to roll around in a dojo with soft mats, but if you go out and street and if you ever got your face pushed and rubbed on concrete, you would never go down to the ground number 2 people carry knives. Bad guys carry knives and if you think that you gonna use some traditional blocks to get the knife out of that person's hand you're out of your mind. You have to train your students from day one. This is a knife and teach them how to defend against it. But the best way to tea. How to defend against it is to teach them how to wheeled the weapon. I'm so sick and tired of instructors thinking well. If I teach them too much they're not gonna stay with me. They're not gonna keep giving me their money. Stop it as a martial arts instructor your job is to teach people how to defend themselves in the street. If you go to a school that teaches time though, you're better off taking a ballet class. There are martial arts out there that work only in a dojo. Setting, but that's not the reason we studied the martial arts. We studied the martial arts for interpiece. Restart the martial arts to defend ourselves and our family. And those weaker than us.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

That's not at all what we were saying. Kenpo is an empty handed system, and earlier belts learn some stick defense. Kenpo just teaches people to be good with their hands first before putting weapons in them. Different approach, different focus.

[@scepticskeptic3794]

American Kenpo is soooo bad. LOL

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Contrary to your tagline...feelings over facts it seems :P

[@scepticskeptic3794]

​@@ArtofOneDojo LOL. Go down to any boxing gym or MMA place and watch all that Kenpo flapping about crumble. Imagine what they would do to any air hitters in a real street fight? There is a reason all you Kenpo & Trad Mar Arts guys hide in your Dojos where you can all pretend how effective you are. In your case, "proof hurts". Haw haw haw...

[@ArtofOneDojo]

@@scepticskeptic3794 If the Kenpo guy does nothing but train in the air, then it's a crappy school. A good school breaks down the material into functional levels. Unfortunately, and as I've said in many episodes, it's getting harder to find the good schools that teach that way. However, your comment suggests you are basing your opinion on what you've likely seen on KZbin and not from an in-person school. People often mistake demos for fighting combos that are supposed to be memorized and repeated. If a person criticizes Kenpo by saying "those self defense sequences would never work in a real fight because the person won't just stand there", then that is the first thing that tells me that person doesn't actually understand how Kenpo is taught.

[@scepticskeptic3794]

@@ArtofOneDojo LOOOL, You'd like to think that because it would give 'credence' to your baseless theory and allow you to hide in the dojo away from the real world. Go for it! Unfortunately for you, I'm very familiar with American Kenpo having trained in it for years as well as a host of other chop sockey traditional arts. As well as having worked in door security for a number of years. If you think any of those techniques will work under duress you'll have a real wake-up call one day in a parking lot, lol. It also tells me that if you think those techs will actually work you clearly don't understand physics or physiology very well. Why would you, when you blindly follow a man (Ed Parker) who built a system that was never pressure-tested or based in reality? And when he was told that they didn't work in reality, he said they were the "A B Cs of motion". LOL Kenpo, like nearly all trad arts that engage in very light contact, fools the instructors and students into thinking they are all Bruce Lee's. Like I said just pop down to a boxing gym, and try out your deadly 'kicking set one', and 'star block'. But I hope you have your health insurance ready. Haw haw haw...

[@trevegas]

Sorry but kenpo weapons doesn''t compare to kali.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Different training goals. Kenpo in an empty hand art that uses weapons to establish a mindset of how to adjust technique and rage when holding an object. Kali is a weapons based art dedicated to the use of that weapon. There is a world of difference between the two with different intended goals.

[@MERVILLE3]

Are you actual grown ups?

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Is there an issue?

[@Gqspeed13]

So its all Bullshit and all about money!!!

[@ArtofOneDojo]

How are you coming to THAT conclusion from this video? That's not correct at all.

[@davidrisselada6199]

Kenpo is a ridiculous martial art. If it can even be called that. All of the videos these so called black belts post are techniques against people who offer zero resistance and cooperate with this fantasy that the techniques are always going to produce the desired results. They respond to one movement, which often, right off the bat shows a very low knowledge of fighting to begin with, by throwing a series of predetermined, patterned techniques that entail upwards of 20 movements. 😅 You can never respond with three moves to your opponents one let alone 20. Unless of course you have gained some kind of control over the guy. Did he just say on the ground? 😅😅 ok, I am done. As far as FMA goes, most of that is silly too but at least their movements aren't based on prearranged sequences, aside from a few drills. 😅😅😅😅Oh my gosh. No, training these predetermined technique sequences will not help you when someone who KNOWS how to hold you on the ground.😅😅😅 Finally, the only difference between lower and higher belt techniques should be how efficiently and effectively they are performed. This is all fantasy. The guy is talking about performing theatrical martial arts. Did he just say he accidentally stabbed someone on a film set?

[@ArtofOneDojo]

"You can never respond with three moves to your opponents one let alone 20" That comment alone tells me you don't actually understand how Kenpo is taught. I've covered this many times on the channel and not going to go all into again here, but those techniques are not teaching you combinations to memorize and just repeat in a real situation. Each technique is just a sample scenario to use for study purposes to analyze how basics can work in combination with principles. Unfortunately there are a lot a bad schools that don't teach it properly, but for a school that does those techniques are used to teach position recognition and how to blend ideas together on the fly. They were never meant to be performed on a person who's just standing there not resisting. People who comment that have only seen the demos of techniques and have never been in an actual class to understand the lessons found within. And for the record, yes it's absolutely possible to string together moves, 3 or more. I've personally done it myself and I have seen colleagues apply complete techniques in sparring. If you know how the work on a fundamental level and understand how to blend and adjust then those combinations can be great learning tools for both offensive and defensive applications. And you're the first person I've heard call FMA silly. If you answer to every is "BJJ/MMA" then I would suggest expanding your exposure to more martial arts before putting down other systems.

[@Jesuslovesamericans]

As an Arnis guy, I wondered why his hand technics were somewhat similar to the Panantukan I learned.

[@daddy3d1972]

Would love to see a Kenpo 5.0 vs Paul Mills kenpo

[@kenponinja1877]

RIP Paul Mills